The New Marauder
by autumn midnights
Summary: 'James Sirius Potter, New Marauder. He liked the sound of that.' Harry gives his son the Marauder's Map. Family, oneshot, rated K. Reviews are appreciated.


Disclaimer: I think we've been through this enough. JK Rowling owns all.

* * *

Eleven-year-old James Sirius Potter poked his head around the door of his parents' bedroom. "Dad? You in there?"

"Yeah. Come on in, if you'd like." Harry Potter looked up from the photo album he was glancing at, and put it back inside the drawer of the nightstand. James slipped inside the room, hopping on the bed and bouncing slightly.

"I wanted to get away from Lily," he said, glaring at the door. "She's going on and on about how she wants to go to Hogwarts, too. I'm pretty sure she's cooking up a scheme to sneak onto the train. I heard her talking about it with Al yesterday. She wants to go really, really bad. Like Mum did, too, when Uncle Ron went for his first year. Except she didn't try to go. I think Lily's going to try and sneak on the train when you aren't looking."

"Well, I'll just have to keep an eye on her, then." Such a thing was easier said than done. The youngest Potter child had a rather disconcerting habit of sneaking away without anyone noticing. Changing the subject, Harry asked, "Are you excited about Hogwarts?"

"Of course," James said in a 'well-duh!' voice. "Who wouldn't be? I've heard all the stories from you and Mum, plus Teddy and Victoire and Freddie and Dominique. Uncle George once told me that Peeves likes to snack on first years, but I'm pretty sure he's lying," he added as an afterthought, nodding wisely.

Harry resolved to have a talk with George on not scaring first-year family members. "He's lying, you're right."

"I'm going to be in Gryffindor!" James continued. "It's the best house, I don't care what Victoire and Dominique say. Freddie agrees with me - Gryffindor is the awesomest place ever!"

"It doesn't matter which house you get into," Harry said carefully. "You do know that, right? That your mum and I would be proud of you no matter what?"

James made a face. "Please, Dad, don't get mushy. I know I'm going to be in Gryffindor, anyway."

Harry sighed slightly, although his son didn't notice. There, apparently, was no convincing James that Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin were also perfectly acceptable houses. Hopefully he got placed in Gryffindor; he would be so sad if he wasn't. "All right, James. Anyway, there's something I want to give to you before you leave for Hogwarts." He paused, hoping that he was doing the right thing here, before reaching into the drawer of the nightstand, lifting the photo album up, and pulling out a piece of parchment from underneath it.

"What's that? It just looks like a blank piece of parchment." James looked disappointed, having expected a much more impressive gift.

"It isn't, trust me." Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the front of it, muttering something that his son didn't quite hear. Ink began to spread all over, forming a map. "This, James, is the Marauder's Map. A perfect map of Hogwarts, along with all the people in it. Scoot closer - look, there's Minerva McGonagall in the Headmistress' office, and there's Filch, the caretaker - he's not very nice, don't cross him - on the second floor."

"That is the coolest thing ever!" James grabbed the parchment and began to pore over it. "You mean, when Hogwarts is full of students...it'll show where everyone is? So I won't get caught doing things I shouldn't?" He was obviously very excited about the prospect of using the Map for mischievous purposes.

It was official - James had been spending too much time around Freddie and Roxanne. "Yes," Harry sighed. "There's a lesser chance of you getting in trouble, but please don't do anything completely stupid." His plea was lost on his son, however, who was too engrossed in the map to notice anything else. He gently tugged it from James' grasp, tapping the front with his wand again, murmuring something else, causing all the ink to disappear. "To show the map, you have to tap it with your wand and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'. Then, to make it revert into blank parchment, tap it again and say 'Mischief Managed'.

"So that nobody else sees the map," James said, understanding dawning on his face. "The Marauders were geniuses, really. I'm going to be a new Marauder. The Marauder of this time. Maybe Roxanne can be a New Marauder with me. She's just as good at pranks as I am. Plus she has access to all the Wheezes products, because she gets them for free, and I just get a family discount." He snatched the map again. "You're really giving this to me, Dad? This is the best present ever!" He grinned. "I'm so excited for Hogwarts!" He scampered out of the room, presumably to put the Map in his already-packed trunk. Harry watched him go before flopping back onto the bed.

It would be nice to see the Marauder's Map used again. Harry hadn't bothered to look at it in so long - although he had occasionally checked on Teddy when the Metamorphmagus had entered his first year, he had long since stopped doing that. Now it would be used for the same purpose for which the original Marauders - two of which his son was named for - had created it. It was fitting that James would get it, being named after two of them. James Potter and Sirius Black certainly lived on in James Sirius Potter. He was certainly a prankster, and the possibility of him creating some sort of new Marauders, the pranksters of this generation, was a nearly-definite one. Harry smiled slightly. Minerva McGonagall - and all the other teachers, really, would have their hands full.

* * *

Back in his own room, the door closed as a firm warning for Lily not to enter, James looked at the map, reverted once more to a blank sheet of parchment. He was beyond happy that his father had given it to him - it seemed much more like a gift Uncle George would give. James imagined the look on Roxanne's face when he showed her; she would certainly love this as well. He wanted to plan some wonderful practical joke with her, and possibly Freddie, although the latter was two years older and less likely to hang around two lowly first years, even if they were related. He slid the parchment into his trunk, shutting it again, before laying back on his bed.

James Sirius Potter, New Marauder. He liked the sound of that.

* * *

**I always thought Harry would hand down the Marauder's Map; after all he got up to at school, I can't picture him being a very strict parent. Besides, James Sirius is such a New Marauder in my mind. Thanks for reading and please review! :D**


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